Movement V: Lauds

    Haleth faced the Elf lord in her armor, with her sword and dagger at her side. Slightly behind her, Malron held her bow and arrows. “I am Haleth Haldad’s daughter, and today I thank you for saving my people,” she said. “On behalf of the Haladin, I offer our heartfelt thanks and honor.”
    “The honor is ours, lady Haleth,” the Elf lord replied, inclining his head. “Your people fought bravely, and it was our pleasure to aid you. But come, let us share a cup of wine in a token of friendship.”
    “Gladly, lord,” she murmured. The Elf lord waved one of his warriors forward with a wineskin. Another brought cups and the two seated themselves upon the ground. The Elf lord poured the wine, and Haleth gravely lifted her cup to him. “I honor you and yours, my lord.”
    “And I you and your people, lady Haleth.” They drank of the wine, and Haleth said, “If I may have your name, my lord?”
    He smiled. “I am Caranthir of the Noldor, son of Fëanor. Long have my kin fought against the orcs, and when we heard of a great host to the south, I hastened here as quickly as I could.”
    “And for that, I thank you,” she said, but she also thought, But you were not in time to save Arion, Haldad, and Haldar. She somehow kept a perfect mask upon her face and smiled at Caranthir, although she was not quite able to warm to him.
    “But what are your plans? You cannot stay here and rebuild; I fear that the orcs will come again in another few years. If you would remove from this place and dwell further north, there you shall have the friendship and protection of the Eldar and free lands of your own.”
    For one moment, Haleth was tempted to accept. She was so weary of fighting. But her own pride rebelled, especially when the Haladin muttered at this.
    We are too used to freedom to serve under the Eldar.
    So she answered, “Your offer is kind, my lord Caranthir, and I beg your pardon, but I must refuse. I fear that my people are too used to making our own way and living under our own laws.”
    “Then where shall you go?”
    “If it does not bother you overmuch, I would stay here until my brother’s child is born. But my mind is now set, lord, to leave the shadows of the mountains, and go west, whither others of our kin have gone.”
    “As you will,” Caranthir replied. “I and mine shall leave soon after we rout the last of the orcs from this land. You shall be safe here for a while until the child is born. But I will not trouble your hospitality overlong, and it is time we left. Farewell, lady Haleth.”
    “Farewell, my lord Caranthir,” she said as the Elves prepared to march forth.
    Then she turned to her people. “Haladin, there are several tasks for us. One, we must bring back our dead. We must also search for our other kinsmen who were not part of the keep. And we must care for our wounded. Malron, you’re in charge of bringing back our dead. Gelvar, you’re to direct the searchers. Janya, take care of the healers.”
    The Haladin silently dispersed into three groups, each according to their skill. Haleth joined Malron; although it was a distasteful task, she should help, because the dead were her responsibility. Malron left her bow and arrows inside his hall then led out his helpers into the field.
    Hours later, as the sun began to set, Haleth ventured forth once more, this time to search for her old sword. It was a good weapon, and she could not afford to waste anything.
    But when she returned to where Malron had laid it, she could not find it. There was a depression in the ground where it had been, but the sword itself was no longer there. She searched for it frantically until Malron dragged her back to the keep, and she promised herself to look for it tomorrow.
    But she could not find it as days stretched into weeks. Smoke rose from the keep almost continuously as the Haladin burned their dead and placed the ashes into a large urn so that they could take them west. People either healed or died, and funeral pyres grew ever larger. But Gelvar did find other Haladin who had fled when the orcs had first begun their attacks. These new Haladin willingly bent their knees to Haleth and joined in the grueling work. But when their labors stopped at last, the Haladin held a great feast and asked Haleth to lead them into the west. She accepted, and then the Haladin settled down to wait for Janya’s child to be born.

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